Gangster Rap - The Negative Impact on Identity Essay

Jean Kilbourne, a media specialist, raises an interesting point in one of her lectures when she states, â€Å"The average American is exposed to 3000 advertisements per day. Yet, everyone in America still feels personally exempt from the media. They say, â€Å"I don’t pay attention to ads. I just tune them out. They have no effect on me.†Ã¢â‚¬  She later states most of the people who have said this to her were wearing Gapâ„ ¢ tee-shirts. Whether people realize it or not, there is a direct correlation between the media and an individual’s identity. Along with products, the media also sells values, views, images, and concepts of normalcy. The media tells us who we are and who we should be. Unfortunately, many times the media tells us things that have a major†¦show more content†¦Because of this, the negative impact on a person’s individual identity is large. We imitate practices displayed in the media, however licentious they may be and this ch anges our values and our self image, which changes our individual identity. The collective identity is also impacted because the media, in this scenario rap, changes our paradigms about the roles people play in a society. This is done in rap songs with the degrading of women and the encouragement of violence. As outlined here, media in the form of modern music or rap has a negative effect on a human beings’ collective and individual identity. Next I am going to talk about advertising focused on gender roles as a form of negative media. For women, the media is always focused on how they look. It constantly degrades women’s self esteem by telling them to be skinny, vulnerable, powerless, and silenced. In addition, the media turns women into objects or things instead of beings, which encourages violence towards them. This teaches women it is okay for people to use them. Men are also negatively impacted by the media as they are scrutinized for having feminine qualities such as compassion, nurturance, cooperation, empathy, sensitivity, and good communication skills. Men are told they must be violent, brutal, and ruthless, especially towards women. The media’s perspective on what it meansShow MoreRelatedRap Music And Its Influence On African American Youth1705 Words   |  7 Pagesone type of genre in particular has seemed to grab the attention of a younger generation. Rap music has undoubtedly had its utmost imp act on African American youth, since many of the performers themselves are African American. An overtly masculine culture dominates rap music and creates gender stereotypes that become abundantly popular to the youthful audience. 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